HARP OF MY HEART 

AND OTHER POEMS 




HUGH .ROBERT ORR 



HARP OF MY HEART 

AND OTHER POEMS 



BY 

HUGH ROBERT ORR 



DESIGNS BY 

EARL L. ORR 




THE COLLEGE PRESS PUBLISHERS 
TOPEKA - KANSAS 

t ^ --■ \-\_a^->. -:_ 



CopijriaKt, 1922 

bvj 

HUGH ROBERT ORR 

Chicago 






SEP 28 1S22 

)CI.A6S3434 



To One 

Wko Lives ill Memorij 

And One 
Wlio Remains to Read 



Gratelul acknowledgment is due tlie puLlisliers of 
TKe Boston Transcript, Tke Ckicago TriLvme, Tke 
American Poetn.j Magazine, A Roi^croit Antliologij, 
Tlie Ckristian Register and Tke Ckristian Advocate 
for permission to use certain poems in tkis collection. 



CONTENTS 

Harp Of M13 Heart, Waken - - - Q 

On Pinnacles Of Wonder - - - - 10 

Ok, To Set Jotj Loose Over Tke Eartk - - 11 

Jvilij Niglit - 12 

Until Todaij 13 

Lon^ Ere Tke Dawn - - - - - 14 

Autvunn Fantasij - - - - - 13 

Tkere Came A Son^ - - - - - 16 

Hour Tkat Never Failed - - - - 17 

Tkeij Soltlij Walk - - - - - - 18 

Anastasia - - - - - - - 19 

Bring Unto Me A Little Ckild - - - 20 

Bakijlon - - - - - - - 21 

Song Of Wonders 22 

Tke Propket 23 

Tke Isles Of Skoals 24 

Tke Victortj ____-- 2D 

Litainj Of Nigkt 26 

Skaggvj Old Cotton woods - - - - 27 

Wken Memori) Turns Back Tke Page - - 28 

A Voice For Tke Dumb - - - - 29 

Dear Heart, Skotild You Forget - - - 30 

I Sing Tke Liberation - - - - 31 

Daxjkreak - - - - - - -32 

Lincoki -___--- 33 

To Pratj ..--..- 34 

Tkere Is A Commerce _ _ - _ 3D 



Apart From You ------ 56 

M I Forget ------ 57 

As God Is To Me 58 

Apocalijpse of Paiii ----- 39 

O Destined Heart 40 

Ni^k To Tke Evening Star - - - - 41 

WorsLip 42 

Free At Last 45 

Go Not Alone 44 

Tke UnfuMed 45 

Anticipation - - - - - - -46 



HARP OF MY HEART 



Harp Ol Mlj Heart, Waken 

Harp of mv) lieart, waken to tke winds tliat come tempting 

v)ou to song; 
Tlie tliirsting winds tliat come witli eager fingers tipping vip 

tlie w^ine c^ips of tlie flow^ers; 
Tkat liasten out to gatker up tke incense of tke fields and 

rvm in revelrxj over tke kills spilling it as tkev) go. 

Will tketj not patise at tke door of mij keart? Mtist tketj 
be fleeing forever aw^aij in tkeir discontent? 

Perkaps tketj are like a poet and all tkeir life is but a crvj 
and a tkirst, as of one wko w^anders alone tkrougk tke 
kigk star-candled ckamkers of tke nigkt seeking tke brim- 
ming ckalice of tke infinite. 

Harp of mvj keart, w^aken to tke voices in tke w^ind tkat 

come tempting ijou to song; 
Tliat come w^itk tke delicate uncertain tij of fingers feeling 

for tke ketjs of some kalf-remembered melodtj . 



[Q] 






On Pinnacles Of Wonder 

I ask no certain passport, 

Altliovi^li I journev| far, 
Onkj tlie ^old of morning, 

Onlvj tlie evening star. 

Tliovigli tliere are tLose wlio answer 
Mij questions tlius and so. 

And tremble in believing, 

Fearing Avliat tlieij know — 

I Lave no fears and dovibtings, 
Nor anv) creeds to Loast, 

For I bide most in w^onder, 
In all I question most. 

And w^nen men w^eep and falter 
Because tlieir dreams are dust, 

On pinnacles of wonder 
I build nnj tow^er of trtist. 



[101 



Oil, To Set Joij Loose Over Tlie Eartli! 

Ola, to set jov) loose over tlae eartli, 
To ^ive wkat tlae wLole world is seeking! 
Joij ol dreams and of freedoms and self-masteries, 
Of being equal witk tlie liigliest and tlie lowest in tlie eartli, 
Jov) w^itli a pang deeper tnan pain. 

Oil, to squeeze tlie fu.ll red drops out of tlie grapes of life 
and to give tlie w^liole w^orld to quaff it! 

Going out to sing of jovj, and to find it falling from tlie lips 

of laugking ckildren; 
To see jotj in tke faces of uncursed men, to kear it in tlie 

slioutings of liberated races; 
Returning to find mv] ow^n keart joij-lit as bij a tkousand 

candles pouring tkeir w^kole w^kite radiance into one small 



Ok, still to sing of joij! 

Jov) made free for all and set w^itkin tke reacli of all, 

Jov] like tke molten gold of morning pouring over tke kills 

and down across tke vallevjs — 
Ok, to set joij loose over tke eartli! 



[Ill 



Jukj Niglit 

A gentle peace 

Hatk liusked tlie tired world; 

Tlie lields wliere men liave toiled 

Lie ill a silver silence, 

And tlie rutted road 

Is paved ■vsritk nioonliglit. 

In tkeir stalls 

TLie cattle Lreatlie content; 

A loon cries Iroin tlie river lens. 

Orion, golden- girdled. 

Guards tLe Pleiades; 

Tlie uiglit Nviiids sleep. 

No one is near tvit God — 

And a muttering owl in a tree. 



[121 



Until Todai^ 

Until todaij I tliotiglit 

Yovur v)ears were never frftvi^lit 

Witk cloud or rain; 
Tlio vigil notking ijou liave said, 
Todav) vipon vjour lips I've read 

Long silenced pain. 

Until todaij I guessed 
Your vmdulating breast 

Sang fearlesslvj; 
Bvit now witliin vjour song 
I Lear vjour laeart beat ovit its long, 

Long agonv). 

I tliouglit some radiant dream 
Fell on vjour evjes, some gleam 

Of sunlit vjears; 
Btit now todaij I know 
It is tbe wistful afterglow 

Of tears. 



[151 



Long Ere Tlie Dawn 

Long ere tke dawn 

A man arose and walked alone 

Upon tlie kills. 

Tke stars knew kim -^ 

In Sijria tke stars speak unto men. 

Tke breatk of aloes w^asked in dew 

Came vip tke slope; 

He drank it in and paused 

As tke first w^aking bird 

Skattered tke silence witk a song. 

Tken w^aited ke and w^atcked, 

Erect, full-powered, 

His face ttirned tow^ard tke east, 

Expectant, eager, keld, 

As at a world's nativitv). 



[141 



Autumn Fantasi] 

Deep-av|ea ivvj flaiiiiu^ over an old fence wall; 

Sunli^kt stepping on cLrij leaves and running awavj leaving 
golden loot-prints on tke liills; 

Cloud fragments floating like dream-skips silent and un- 
deterred unto some far port of fantastj — 

And tnis is autumn, tliis golden coronation of tke ijear, tLis 
forest carnival of color witk crimson streamers fltjing 
down tke leaftj colonades. 

Over tke fields a limpid kaze lies softkj undulating in tke 
breeze. Evenjw^kere a deep kvisk of jovj is turned into 
dreaming. Tke vervj air kangs trembling on tke brink of 
melodv). 

Wliat is autumn? Wkat is tkis configuration wroiigkt in 
sunligkt? 

Matj be it is a mvjstic spell cast upon tke fields btj tke 
magic of tke golden-rod. 

Or perkaps it is wkere some vjoutkful deitvj fell and spilled 
kis cornucopia, kasting konie from tke karvest of tke gods. 

1 guess it is jotj come into tke keart of tke eartk Viritk tke 
long embrace and tke kisses of tke summer sun. 



[15] 



Tliere Came A Song 

Tnere came a son^ soit lalliii^ on tlie ni^lit, 

As from an upper air above the din 

Of niidniglat traffic in tke citi-j streets. 

Far from some mantj storried Jieiglit a voice 

Came floating down as wafted autvimn leaves 

Tliat fall upon a w^orn and weanj soil 

And Cfuicken it to life. So fell tkat song 

From some sweet unknow^n lips upon mij lieart 

And I forgot for one deep moment all 

Tke w^kir of motors, and tlie tliundering trains, 

A moment onkj^-Lvit a part, it seemed, 

Of some sublime antipkonvj tkat sw^elled 

Tkrougk tke catkedral of tke starlit nigkt. 



[161 



Hour Tliat Never Failed 

Swift ijears tnat niarcn upon us, 

New vjears like unspent armies tliunaerin^ at our doors, 
Do ijou see Low fragile are our walls, liow rusted are tlie 
lon^-kept bars? 

Have Ljou come, O ijears, to take us oij storm if we w^ill 
not ijield? 

Do tjoti speak long witk our vmwilling minds? Do v)ovi plead 
w^itn our stuboornness? 

Do vjou offer compromises tliat vjovi niavj not need to destrovj 
us utterlij? 

O marslialling ijears, solemnkj approacking, giving us time 
to open tke gates to vjour peaceful eutrvj, 

Ilow^ ^oii^ will i^our patience kold tjou from devastation? 

Omnipotent ijears, amassing against tis blinded bvj ovir frag- 
ile barricades. 

Is tke kour come near, tke kovir tkat never failed? 

Do we kear strange sovmds less distant? 

Do w^e kear new^ voices? 

Do w^e see resistance swept aside? 

Do w^e see rising upon tke rviins new states and new^ capitols, 

Amlagamations and fraternities? 

A new world and a new flag rising over kumanitv)? 

O vjears tkat marck upon iis! 

O our blind etjes! 

O fragile barricades! 

O kour tkat never failed! 



[171 



Tlievj Softl>3 Walk 

Tlietj are uot ^one wlio pass 
Bevjond tlie clasp of kaud, 
Out from tlie strong embrace. 
Tliei] are but come so close 
We need not grope witk liands, 
Nor look to see, nor trtj 
To catck tke soimd of feet. 
Tkevj kave put off tkeir skoes 
Softkj to walk h\^ datj 
Witkin our tkougkts, to tread 
At nigkt our dream-led patks 
Of sleep. 

Tkevj are not lost v/lio find 
Tke svmset gate, tke goal 
Of all tkeir faitkfiil vjears. 
Not lost are tkevj wko reack 
Tke svinimit of tkeir climo, 
Tke peak above tke clouds 
And storms. Tkev) are not lost 
Wko find tke ligkt of sun 
And stars and God. 

Tkev) are not dead wko live 

In kearts tkev) leave bekind. 

In tkose v/kom tkeij kave blessed 

Tkeij live a life again, 

And skall live tkrougk tke ijears 

Eternal life, and grow^ 

Eack dav) more beavitifvil. 

As time declares tkeir good, 

Forgets tke rest and proves 

Tkeir immortalittj. 



[181 



Anastasia 

vVnat areaiii lias Lrouglit \jovi ironi ijour east, 

Dau^kter of Plato, cliild ol Greece, 

In Sniv)rna Loru wkere Plato lived? 

WTiat vision roused vjou at vjour plavj, 

Wkere blue Aegean waters lave 

Tkeir sunlit sands? Vv kat wkispered word 

Came unto v)ou Ironi ovit tke sea. 

Telling into v)our ckildkood ears 

Tke secret tkat tjour ancient king, 

Not know^ing, sat and w^ept to know^? 

Wkat niigktv] voice w^itkout, w^itkin. 

Spake to vjour maiden keart tkat vjou 

Skould rise and leave ijour Homer's kaunts 

Your Atkens and Acropolis, 

Your glorified Tkermopolae? 

I ask VJOU, ckild of gracefvil Greece, 

Wkat message spake tke gods to tjou, 

Tkat tjou were bold to leave Ljour plaij, 

Tkat T-jou sailed fearless on tke sea, 

Tkat VJOU came kitker unafraid. 

Unto mtj land of restless toil. 

Unto niv] citvj w^rapped in smoke? 

Is it tkat ijour long cultured sense 

Sees beautvj wkere I see it not? 



[191 



Bring Unto Me A Little Cliild 

Bring unto me a little ckila, 

Tliat I maij look on liie 

Honest and undefiled btj trotkless guile, 

Unskrouded Ltj tke forgeries of time. 

Tlie trivial clamor oi tne street 

rlas deadened all mv) song; 

Ok, let me kear some little voice tkat laugks 

And ckatters sacrilegiouslvj 

Among our graven images! 

Bring unto me a little ckiid 

Tkat neitker worskips, lears nor kates, 

Bvit onlv) laugks, 

Tkat I mat) set mij keart attune 

To keaven s voice. 



[201 



0(^tRp= w — (S%(g^>^^ 



Bamjlon 

O dust of Mardvik, dead, -wiud-driven dust, 

Time swept tkee as tlie tide an kouse of sand. 

Time took tliij pride and left tkee to tke moles; 
In vain for tkee tke writing and tke kand. 

For Babtjlon is fallen like a star, 

Tkat leaves its place unmarked against tke skij; 
Bel-Merodack is gone, kis priests are dust 

Wkereon tke sleeping sun-w^anned serpents lie. 

Men tramp tlivj grave to Bagdad know^ing not 

Tke glorij of tkij dav), O Bakvjlon; 
Tkeij kear no song of Sargon s victories. 

Nor ecko from tke train of Xerxes tkrong. 

No voice is keard wkere once tkij captives wept. 
And ktmg tkeir karps beside tlivj willowed stream; 

O Babijlon, tkovi art more dumb tkan tkevj. 
And notking lives bvit tkeir immortal dream! 



[2i: 



Song Of Wonders 

Wonaer of suns aud seasons, 

Oi sowing and reaping; 

Wonaer oi splieres iia perfect accord, 

And of deep and liniitless spaces; 

Wonder of Lirtli and of deatli, 

And of life proceeding; 

Wonder of love and lavigkter, 

Of music aud of song; 

Wonder of dreams and fulfillment; 
Wonder of pain and tears; 
Wonder of daij-Lreak and of noon, 
Wonder of evening star; 
Wonder of all tliat is— 
Wonder tliat ani-jtliing is. 
Oil, wonder tliat I maij beliold it all 
In w^onder! 



[221 



Tke Propliet 

Tliei-j will not Lear a propliet s voice; 
"Awai-j", tliev) crtj, ' To Golgotlia! 
And crown liini tliere witli niarttjrdoni. 
His living voice now stilled, Lis w^ord 
Is cauglit up Ltj tlie eclioin^ kills 
And llun^ alar to everij a^e, 
Wliile cliildren strew w^ild-llowers for nim 
Tlieir latliers liavjed and cursed and killed. 

No sw^eeter sadness than is kis 
Wliose ear liatla cauglit tke sounds afar, 
Wkose evje katk seen tke distant daij, 
Wkose soul katk sensed tke w^ider law. 
He know^s no countrvj, tvit tw^o w^orlds, 
Tke old one passing lor tke new^; 
He goes, a solitarvj soul 
y\long kis waij unto tke end, 
A liberator, to kis ckains. 

Ere good katk ever concfuered ill. 
Ere ever nigkt katk turned to dav), 
Or waters sweet w^ere ever struck 
From rigid stones, or barren sands 
Have borne tke blossom of tke rose, 
A propket's tears kave tkere been sked. 



[25] 



Tlie Isles Ol Skoals 

Wkat gods laave keld liigli carnival 
Upon tkese cliffs? Wkat revelries 
Have riven tliese miglatv) rocks ana cleft 
Tkis Siren s Grotto wnere tlie sea 
Hatli sung a tkousand centuries? 
Wliat monumented arrogance 
Or valors of some primal world 
Have liere teen marked? Yet run tlie winds, 
I et fling tne waves tneir silver svirf 
To grace tliese treaclierous skoals. Tke gods 
Have long departed, vjet remain 
Tkeir kigk and koarr| altars kept 
Forever ti.j tke great wkite gvills 
Tkat skim tke emerald sea. 



[241 



Tlie Victonj 

All Clirist, and wko are tliese tliat liave come up 
Out oi tlie fields of blood, tliese maimed and blind, 
Tkese dumb tbat come so slowlij back a^ain, 
Witn siglitless sockets turned up to tbe sun? 
Are tliese tlieij wko but ijesterdatj marclied off 
To music sweet as lieaven; wko went ovit 
To beautifvj a w^orld w^itk arts of kell? 

And w^ko are tkese tkat come not back again, 
Sow^n to tke w^inds of w^ar tkeij did not make, 
Paijiug tke price of katreds not tkeir ow^n? 
Cotild Abrakam spare Isaac for a ram, 
And ijet ovir sons must die for rick men's skeep? 
Come, priests of Nabob, come ijou patrioteers, 
And saij, bij God, if tliis be victorij! 

O sunken eijes, O faces smote bv) fire, 
O w^eeping liearts tkat wait eternitij, 
O dead, sleep and forget, for at tke dawn 
Tke w^ratli of God and tjour avenger come! 



[25] 



LitaiiLj Of Niglit 

Come, great calm beautiftil iiiglit, 

Smootli out tlie wrinkles of tlie care-worn daLj. 

All dav) tke liorizon Laifles me; 

Tliere is no room to wander 

In tke patnw^av) oi a aream. 

A mere creature of a ulace 

Am I in tlie dav), 

Hurrtjing to ana fro, to and fro, 

Even as tlie Leetles do^ — 

I as Dusij w^itli living as tke beetles, 

I in mv) little tnraldom Lvisij 

Rattling tlie tinw^are of living. 

But tlie niglit, tlie calm far-spreading niglit! 

Tlien tlie ctirtain canoptj of tlie davj falls back 

And reveals tke star-spangled universe. 

And I— I am detacked, free, ageless; 

I am become a denizen of tke infinite; 

I wander w^kere tke eternities are. 



[26] 



Sliaggvj Old Cottonwoods 

Sliag^T-j old cottonwoods, 
Witn tjovir naked wliite anns 
Tlirust up at tke prairie skij, 
And ijour sleeping sliadows stretclied 
Upon tne solt gravj dvist ol tlie road, 
I never could understand vjou, 
1 ovi are so old and grizzled and proiound. 

Once a man witli a sun-bronzed lace 
Came out into tlie west; 
Came witn a ijoke oi oxen and a plow^, 
Came w^itli a faitli tliat w^ould stagger fate — 
That is liow^ vjou happened to he here, 
Shaggv) old cottonw^oods. 

And now^ the bleaching vjears 
Ol hall a centunj 
Have lelt the bones ol the oxen 
Whitening in the grass. 
The plow^ lies old and rusted 
* In a lence corner vjonder, 

And the man with the bronzed lace — 
Well, onlv) the old-timers remember him. 

Shaggij old cotton w^oods, 

Yovi stand there so serene, vmmoved, 

I never covild understand vjovi, 

Yovi are so old and grizzled and prolotind. 



[271 



When MemorLj Turns Back Tlie Page 

How glad our kearts v/lien we w^ere vjoung, 
Before the storms of nianij vjears 

I laa tent us low^ or ever flung 
Us on a ragged reef of fears. 

All, nappij v)outliful daijs of dreams, 
Wnen w^e were not so grave or w^ise; 

No lieaven can svirpass, it seems, 
Tke heaven that Lehind us lies. 

Perhaps this is our heaven that trings 

To us our childlike heart again; 
That w^e maij love anew the things 

Ovir toilsome vjears had covmted vain. 

For somehow at the touch of age. 

We walk again our childhood waus, 

While memorvj turns tack the page, 
And reads to us of other datjs. 



[28] 



A Voice For Tlie Dumb 

"Come, poet, read iis gentle rlivjmes," 
Tlaei-j savj, "Sing not of toil ana pain, 
Sing not tliG weeping nor tne rain. 
Nor tke oppressions of our times — 

Speak unto vis of gloriovis tilings. 
How ancient serfdoms fell, tlie fame 
Of old-time valors, not tlie blame 
Of present woes and sufferings. 

Tlie poet silences liis song, 

His onltj song, a broken crij 

For tkose wko dream and drvidge and die, 

Subdvied to tijrannies of wrong. 

Bvit on tlie night sad voices come, 
A sound of w^eeping in tlie w^ind — 
"Toucli tkou our eijes for we are blind. 
Be tliou our voice for we are dvimb." 



[29] 



'^(^tRP^ ^ P $^(g^)^^ 

Dear Heart, Sliould You Forget 

Dear keart, if vjovi sKould ever once forget 
Mvj love for ijou, 

Tlie stars ^voulcl tell tjou in tlie niglit 
As tliei] pass tlirovtgli. 

I tLink tlie winds woxild crvj across tlie fields 

To ijovi for nie, 

Wken tkev) return from minstrelsies 

On land and sea. 

In everv) flower vjovi w^ovild find a hint, 
And tjou wotild weep, 
Wken ijou bekeld tlie bleeding-keart 
Close at tjour feet. 



[301 



I Sing Tne Liberation 

In tne lon^ nignt oi tlie a^es I nave sun6 one son6. 

And lor answer tliere nave come back to nie tne sleepless 
niurniurin^s ol unfed cliildren, and tlie si^li of tne keavij- 
laden like tne sob oi the v/anderin^ winds. 

In tlieir darkness niij song w^as of tlie morning. Wnen tlieij 
nave noped I kave promised tlieni tlie daw^n. 

Yet I w^ell know^ it is not for tliem but for tneir children s 
children. Well I know that their tired bodies shall faint 
and fall, and that ijet other millions shall struggle and 
fall after them. 

But liberation shall come and the slaves of the night shall 

become the freemen of the daij. 
Now^ the gloom and the sadness, the v/ide-evjed hunger of 

children, and the laden bodies of slaves. 
Btit tomorrow^ the florid daw^n, child laughter, and the faces 

of unscourged men. 

Now the night and mvj artless chantings falling vipon the 
the heavLj -hearted \vorld as tears of rain from a softlvj 
w^eeping skvj. 

But tomorrow a radiant earth, and a singer with a harp of 

gold! 



[5i: 



Daijbreak 

Davjtreak^ — 

Tke uioniing JDells, 

And tke sunligkt 

Pouring its floral offering upon me. 

Tke world is born again, 

And men, imawed, 

Attend its ne'sv nativity. 

Yet alwaijs for me tke daij-da-wn, 

Tke perfumed treatk of tke morning. 

And comnivmings of life universal. 

Wko are tjou of wan face 

At ijour morning devotions? 

Disrobe ijour soul of its cloister vestments; 

Tken come and join me in mtj song, 

Wkere tke dew crvjstals drip 

From tke kiss of tke morning ligkt. 



[321 



Lincoln 

Born to tlie simple lile, son of tke soil, 

He knew tlie travail of men's kearts, tke toil 

Tkat tiirns tlie wilderness a frxiitfvil field, 

Tke pioneer's fervid faitk, tke kopes tkat tjield 

Tke far fulfillment of tke propket's dream. 

He trod tke dvist, tjet saw tke stars tkat ^leam. 

Bv) all tkat made men weep ke was made sad, 

Li all tkeir love and lau^kter ke was ^lad. 

He was ordained to set tke captive free, 

Proclaim tke daij of God and libertv), 

To save a world and on kis cross apart, 

ForAivinA all, to bear a broken keart. 

Fallen and dead, ke is come fortk to stand 

A living Ckrist in our wide western land. 



[351 






To Praij 

To pravj — not ask an alms oi late, 
Nor t>e^, nor placate, but to learn 
Mij niasterv), to ^ain nivjseli, 
For tliis is pravjer. 

To prav)-- not to>varcl tlie eartli or skij, 
Bvit to lilt vip uiivjielaing kands 
To tkat strong life unmeasured v]et, 
The Goa in me. 

To prav] — not lor the ^ain oi it, 
Btit lor the joij ol it. To lavish. 
To weep with God, in sharing i°^P 
Ana ^riels ol men. 

To pravj — to hope, to strive, end lail; 
And then when all is lost but pravjer, 
O heart ol mine, to praij again. 
And so be strong! 



34] 



Tliere Is A Commerce 

Tkere is a commerce witli tlie laiia oi dreams, 

Wliere wealtla uncovinted is, and Croesvis seems 

A te^^ar; whence a sliapeKj ar^osvj 

Sails far upon enclianted seas and Lrin^s 

A car^o vast ol vmcreated tnings-- 

Inventions, poems and new w^orlds to be. 

Out from tlie land of dreams a nujstic spell 

Has fallen on man's soul. He cannot tell 

Wkij lie skovild kope, or pravj or v)et believe 

In truer creeds and deeds, a better land, 

Utopia tkat ever near at kand 

Has given kim vast visions to ackieve. 

Ckange stretckes ker impartial kand afar, 

Removes tke kills into tke sea; tke star 

Of long millennituns kas lost its beams; 

Yet tkis remainetk — faitk in w^kat skall be 

Wken tke creative soul of man is free 

To kold kigk commerce witk tke land of dreams. 



[551 



Apart From You 

Apart Iroin vjovi, I liear tlie winds 

Go tunelessKj all dav); 
And all the tarrying ni^Lt tke stars 

Gaze wonder in^Kj. 

Apart from ijou, tlie minstrel kills 
Lean nivite against tlie sktj; 

Tne golden crocus looks not up 
As I pass tv). 



[56] 



Till I Forget 

Not tliat I liavG no tears to ^ive for tliem, 
Wliose loot-ialls break no more nitj silences; 
Not tliat nnj peace katli less ol secret pain 
Than tlie great crvj tliat went up vjesterdav) 
Out of nivj lieart. Not tliat tlie arguments 
One spoke wlio ca)ne and left a little tract 
Can solace me. It is mijself at last 
Who liave passed on into anotner world 
Of sweet rememberings. Tke liappij ijears 
Come Lack, tlie dear dead davjs return, 
Bringing tlieir old-time loves again to me. 
I liave come nigli to tliose w^no calmlij w^ait 
Wliere patlis of memorv) Lave rendezvous. 
Tlie ijears liave made tlieni not less mine todaij; 
I know tliose tkat I knew; tliose I liave loved, 
Dear God, I love tliem still. Till I forget- 
So nigli tlievj seem in memortj's trtjsting liour — 
Till I forget liow^ tlieij were once so dear, 
Mtj dead and loved are living unto me. 



[571 






As God Is To Me 

God to me is as tke sea 
To tke spraxj, sparkling, free, 
Fkmg an instant in tke air, 
Catcking rainkow colors tkere 
From tke golJen svin. 

As tke organ to tke kev), 
So, it seems, is God to me; 
As tke wind-karp to eack string, 
Wken tke breeze goes loitering, 
Or tke strong w^inds run. 

God to me is as tke rose 
To tke petals tkat tinclose 
In a keautv) not tlieir own, 
Into keautvj not alone 
But togetker — one. 



[58] 



Apocakjpse Of Pain 

You ask me wntj 1 weep? 

Not for tke paiu I bear but tliat I see, 

Tlie au^uisn of a iriena, a lone one s ^iiei, 

For tears of little cbildren vmcaressed 

And bruised like dust-ckoked flowers, 

Wkere beats tke traffic of a tkou^ktless world. 

Wkv) do I w^eep? 

For tkose sad ones tkat go as skadows 
On tke eartk, drij etjed, too tired to weep, 
Wkose pain is measured not in sobs 
Biit in tke silent and relentless vjears. 

Yovi ask me w^kv) I weep? 

All me, for tkose w^ko kave not wept, 

Wkose evanescent lamp denies tke stars, 

Wko kave not fatkomed love tkrougk loss. 

I give tkese tears for tkose wko never knew 

Tke apocakjpse of pain. 

Or wkom tke fateful waves kave never flung 

Upon a cri-jing niglit-bound skore, 

Wkere only are tke wind and rain and God. 



[391 



O Destined Heart 

Hvisli, lieart of mine, 

Tke wmcls go not at will; 

Tlie ctjcles of tke Ljears repeat 

TKeir vain un^nieaning niascjuetaae. 

Wkat sLall avail tkij song? 

Tke atoms kave tkeir single course, 

Tke winds and waves and ijears are kept^ — 

Peace keart, Le dvmiL. 

Yet flings tkvj song 

Its answer to tke stars; 

Yet keaven calls to tkee and w^ill not pass. 

Praijers rise unbidden; 

Deautv) moves tkvj deptks 

As tke fviU moon tke sea. 

Tides, Ljears and dreams, 

And over all one kigk decree^ — 

So comes tkvj song, 

O destined keart oi mine. 



[401 



Nigli To Tlie Evening Star 

Oil beautiful beneath tlie open skies 
To sleep aud tlie returning birds to sing 
Beside nie tlieir perennial lullabtjs 
Witb. eacb returning spring. 

To sleep — nnj lamp, tbe evening star, bung low — 
Nigli to some clover field a-bloom in Maij, 
And over me a roving breeze to blow 
Its incense nigbt and datj. 

Peace of tbe bills is mine, and shattering storm; 
I bave found beautvj, tbe divine desire; 
Attended tbe nativitvj of morn; 
Out- lived a sunset's fire. 

Enough to live but for a davj, a xjear — 

It matters not, if onlij there be light 

Upon the gold-rimmed hills and some band near 

To touch mij etjes with sight. 

To walk the path w^ith those w^ho laugh, w^lio weep; 
To dream a dream and follow^ it afar; 
At nightfall near some fragrant field to sleep, 
Nigh to the evening star. 



1411 



Worsliip 

I worsliip all tlie brave — 
Not onlvj keroes named on printed page, 
Not onlvj tliose paid well and lauded most. 
I w^orsliip tliose brave liearts w^lio never knew 
The glamor and tke glare of fortune s fame, 
And ijet toil on in tbeir vmlionored place, 
Witk steadfast pvirpose and witli kvinime faitk 
Tkat konest toil and justice save tke race. 

I worsliip all tke fair-- 

All-glorious Mazda, ruler of tke davj, 

Tke w^kite moon and tke dancing stars of nigkt. 

All Leautv) kotk in man and in tke eartk, 

Tke crimson killow^s of tke sunset skij, 

Tke kills, tke fields tke song of forest trees, 

Tke vrinter s snow, tke rain, tke fragrant breeze 

Tkat brings tke scent of soft green sod in spring. 

Tke flow^ers tkat fringe mv) patk, tketj keni God's robe; 

I reack mvj kand to toiick and am made w^kole. 



[421 



Free At Last 

O sovereign self, 

And free at last! 

Broken tke Lars 

Tliat bruised tkij beating wings. 

Cleaving tlie skij, oli bigb, 

Ok biglier lift tbee 

Over tbe fawning serfdoms of tlie w^orld 

To wbere aw^aits for tkee tliLj diadem 

Of stars all rubicund. 

None skall command tkee now^, 

Save tkat decree of keaven 

Wkick lifts tke tide and swings tbe distant spkere. 

Let kim, w^ko mitst, 

Lai] dow^n kis neck 

For kings or states to step vipon; 

Let kim lick dust until tke dav) 

His soul skall wake in kim 

And set kim free, 

To run as rvm tke unkept w^inds, 

Listing as God lists. 



[451 



Go Not Alone 

Go not as one alone, dear keart, 
Uncomforted wlien I depart. 
You still skall find me loitering 
Wkere woodland eclioes faintlij rin^, 
Wkere softlij slumbering forest leaves 
Are wakened bvj tke wliisperin^ breeze. 
I sliall be tarrijing for v)ou wliere 
Tbe w^ild wbite rose embalms tlie air, 
Or gatberin^ tbe ^olden^-rod 
Upon tlie sun-sw^ept bills of God. 



[44] 



The Unfulfilled 

It is tile deed tbat lacks, 

Nor cpite killills 

The ^lorvj of tlie dream. 

Dawn writes in ^o^d 

Some promise on tke kills 

Tkat ni^ktfall finds kalf done. 

Beautv) draw^s ui^k and leaves 

Her burning kiss upon our eijes 

Until w^e leap to faskioning 

Some ^ift for ^ods. 

Yet aw^kw^ard kands 

Skape crudelvj tke reluctant claij, 

Or blot tke canvas, 

Or discord tke ketjs. 

So fair tke ^leam tkat leads 

Wkere feet can scarceltj tread; 

So small tke deed— 

Yet still I kave tke dream, 

I kave tke dream! 



[451 



Anticipation 

I can uot call tlie old aaijs test, 

Nor covet ijoutklul dreams. All tilings 

Once mute to me now liave a voice, 
And evervj silence sings. 

Tke patks so often trod Lecome 
More beatitilul as tlietj grow old; 

Tke autumn leaves are deeper red, 
Tke sunsets kave more gold. 

I tkink tomorrow^ I skall kear 
A Viet vinkeard diviner strain; 

Or lind some naked kali-blow^n flower, 
Born of an April rain. 



[461 



Done ill the Print SLiop of 

THE COLLEGE PRESS 

Topeka, Kansas 
"Where Craitsmanship is First" 




LIBRARY OF CONGRFCSQ 

mmmmi 

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